Mohawk intensifies scatter rug efforts

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 4/16/2001 12:00:00 AM

SUGAR VALLEY, GA — After 17 years of producing scatter rugs, Mohawk is becoming more aggressive than ever in pursuit of increased business by more than doubling its line, adding a new label to its collections and forming strategic partnerships with other manufacturers to promote the product.

"Scatter rugs are becoming a bigger commitment for us," said Patrick Moyer, vp, marketing. "Retailers like them because they take up less space at the stores and the price points are on target."

And those are but a few of the reasons Moyer cited.

"Scatter rugs are hot now for a lot of reasons, like the new technology available, which has added so much more surface appeal to the rugs in terms of patterns, colors and constructions," Moyer said. "But also, a scatter rug is an impulse purchase that doesn't have to be planned. People can see it, like it, throw it in their shopping cart and go. Especially in an economy that's down like ours right now, a scatter rug is an inexpensive way to change the look of a room. And they are versatile. People use them in their living rooms, bedrooms, even bathrooms and kitchens. Some people even use it at their front door like a mat."

At April market, Mohawk more than doubled its scatter rug offerings to 25 collections, up from just 12 offerings six months earlier. Many of the collections are stand-alone offerings, while others coordinate with room-size rugs.

Mohawk partnered with Croscill, the bedding, bath, window treatment and decorative pillow manufacturer, one year ago. But not until April market did the two companies launch a marketing program to co-promote each others wares and expand lines into new categories.

"Before we were only doing bath rugs for them," Moyer explained. "Now we've introduced not just 12 new bath rug lines but also 20 room size and scatter rugs."

The new scatter rugs come in a variety of constructions, designs and price points, starting at a 21" x 34" size, and include: tufted, including loop pile, cut pile, and cut and loop pile, costs $9.99; printed, using Kroma-jet technology on a nylon based, costs $14.99; jacquard woven, single ply, costs $19.99; duo weave costs $24.99; and jacquard woven with a two-ply heat set and fringe, which is the Symphony Collection, costs $39.99.

Other sizes for scatter rugs include 30" x 50", 27" x 45" and 4' x 6'.